Meter-box.



No. 633,|87. Patented Sept. 19, I899.

E. HQFORD.

METER BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 20, 1898.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EEIQE.

EDWIN II. FORD, OF IIAR'IFORD CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGI OR ()F ONE-HALF 'lOALBA L. HOLMES, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

METER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,187, datedSeptember 19, 1899.

Application filed December 20, 1898. Serial No. 699,833. (No model) To[1.71 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. FORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford City, in the county of Blackford and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMeter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in boxesfor protecting or housingwater-meters, &c.; and its objects are, first, to protect the metersfrom frost when it is found necessary to place them below the surface ofthe ground in exposed places; second, to avert the danger of waterpercolating through the soil and into the box and submerging the meter,thus rendering it inaccessible or extremely difiicult of access; third,to protect the meter from being meddled with by parties who are notauthorized to have access to it, and ,fourth, to provide for easilyremoving and replacing the meter. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is an elevation of the box. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same 011the line w 50 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like section of the lower end,showing the body of the box embedded in concrete or other suitablematerial. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan, and Fig. 5 is a top plan, of thecover and cap.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The body A of the box is made, preferably,

cylindrical in form and of tile-clay or other suitable material that isimpervious to water and may be provided with an inwardlyprojecting rimor ledge a near its longitudinal center for the support of the lid D todivide the body into two compartments, as indicated in Fig. 2. I supplymy better grade of box with a metal or earthen bottom E, that isconstructed with an annular receptacle 6 for the lower end of the body.After the body is placed in this receptacle it is to be filled withcement, water-lime, or other suitable material to form a water-tightjoint. The waterpipes G pass through apertures e in the bottom of thebox, and these apertures are provided with packing-plugs e to preventthe passage through them into the box. With the cheaper grade of boxes Iset the lower I end of the box in concrete, as indicated in Fig. 3 at E.While this manner of constructing the bottom is perfectly practical, Ido not deem it as desirable as the other form of bottom hereindescribed, as it is not detachable, and its formation in the groundrenders it very hard to remove when it is once placed withoutendangering the breaking of the body and the ruination of the box.

I prefer that the top be made in two sections, the first section beingan annular rim or cap B, which has an annular bead 1) around its lowerouter edge and a downwardly-projecting inner rim 13'. Between this rimand the inner wall of the body A, I place a suflicient quantity ofcement to render the joint not only water-tight, but perfectly secure.Between the bead b and the downwardlyprojecting rim I3 is an annularbearing 1), designed to rest upon the top of the body of the box, and onthe inner surface of this rim I form two lugs 12. The second section 0of the top is formed with an annular groove 0 near its edge which isdesigned to receive and set over a corresponding head or flange on thesection B, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that suitable packing may beintroduced to form a water-tight joint. I form a depression in thiscover and pass a bolt C through the cover and down to screw into thecrossbar 0, so that I can draw the cross-bar solidly against the lugs bto draw the cover to a bearing with the rim B. I pass a key 0 throughthe lower end of the bolt C to avert the danger of screwing the bolt outof the cross-bar, and I place lugs c on the cover each side of thecross-bar, so that the bar will be made to turn with the cover whenturning the cover to place, but will turn with the bolt when screwing itto place, thus insuring engagement with the lugs b with littledifficulty.

I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact construction hereinshown and described, as the spirit of my invention consists not in theparticular form or application of the several parts, but in constructinga box that will absolutely attain the objects hereinbeforc stated andother beneficial objects incidental thereto.

The central partition D should be so constructed that should water getinto the upper compartment of the box it could not pass through into thelower compartment to interfere with the meter F. The principal object ofthe upper ehamberis, however, to form an air-chamber having anon-eonduetiug partition between the upper and the lower ehambers, sothat the danger of freezing the meter is reduced to the minimum and withbut slight extra outlay or expense.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a meter-box, awater-tight body, a bottom placed thereto and madeWater-tight, a cover formed of a rim to rest upon the top of the bodyand form a Water-tight joint therewith, a cover resting on said rim, across-bar and bolt for securing the cover to the rim, an annular ledgearound the inner surface of the body above the meter-ehan1ber, and aremovable cover on said ledge dividing the box into two eompartments,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a meter-box, a water-tight body, a cover formed of a rim to restupon the top of the body and form aavatentight joint therewith, a coverresting on said rim, a bolt passing through the cover and into across-bar, and lugs upon the rim to engage the cross-bar to secure thecover to the rim, and lugs to prevent the cross bar from turning withthe cover, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Hartford City, Indiana, December 9, 1898.

FDWIN H. FORD. In presence of WILLIAM H. EnvlN, JoI-IN OANTWELL.

